1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a footrest for a chair. More particularly, this invention relates to a footrest apparatus for maintaining the user's feet in a comfortable position.
2. Background of the Invention
In the workplace, persons such as machine operators and secretaries are often required to perform repetitive manual tasks in a sedentary position. Without proper support of the body, the person can become fatigued and possibly subjected to repetitive-motion injuries. It is now known that utilizing ergonomic principles in workstation design can help increase worker productivity, decrease worker fatigue, and reduce the likelihood of possible repetitive-motion injuries.
One area in which this proper support is especially necessary is the support of is the feet of a seated person. Without proper support of the feet, the feet and legs may be deprived of much-needed circulation. Unsupported feet tend to cause the seated person's ankles to swell. Not only is this unsupported position uncomfortable, but this position also leads to worker fatigue. Without proper support for the legs, proper circulation is hampered. Conversely, proper foot support facilitates blood flow through the legs which helps prevent fatigue and improves worker comfort.
It is commonly known in the workplace design industry that it is possible to provide free-standing footrests that are not directly attached to the chair of a seated person. However, the addition of another piece of furniture in the work area is not always desirable in many space-limited workplace designs. Further, chairs are often supported by legs with wheels or rollers. So it is possible that when a person places his feet on a separate footrest, he and his chair can roll away from the footrest.
It is also known to provide a grooved surface for these free-standing footrests to help prevent feet from sliding off the footrest surface. However, these grooves tend to retain dirt and generally do not provide sufficient traction to hold the feet in a secure, comfortable position.
Another conventional method of supporting the feet of a seated person in the workplace is by mounting a solid, typically metal ring or footring on the legs of a chair to support the feet of a seated person. However, because of the design of the legs of industrial chairs, these ringed supports hold the feet too far off the floor and position the feet at an uncomfortable, and ergonomically improper, angle. Further, because this type of support is permanently mounted, the adding or removing these supports to chairs can be difficult.
These footring footrests also cause complications if one chair is to be used by more than one person, such as in a multiple work-shift operation. When more than one person uses a chair, it is possible that one person may desire to use the footrest and another may not. Because these footring footrests circumscribe the chair legs and are permanently mounted to the chair legs, such a chair cannot be utilized by a person who does not want to use the footrests.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a footrest that can support the feet at a comfortable angle.